Peer Pressure: A Rock Band Story
by BuzzAttack
Summary: The game Rock Band was released, and with it came millions of bands who played from "Mississippi Queen" to "Green Grass and High Tides," and thus achieved glory and immortality. This saga explains why the band Peer Pressure toured the cities of the world.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The End

It felt like the end of the world. Ooh-lala's bleary eyes surveyed the dark street, the dirty slush splashing as the huddled people walked quickly to try and escape the cold. How futile. She took another drag of her cigarette, watching as the smoke drifted upwards. The stars were obscured by dirty clouds, as if even the heavens had forsaken them. She took one last pull on her cigarette to warm her lungs and threw it on the ground. She looked across street towards Club Merlotte, the cold slush soaking through her black high heels. She suddenly strode across the road, her heels never faltering on the slick pavement. Ten steps forward and a cab turned a corner and rushed towards her, breaks screaming. She didn't flinch as the cab stopped less than an inch from her leg. She leaned onto the car hood, glaring at the blonde driver inside. One who was wearing sunglasses at night. Cute. It was nights like this that made you wish cigarettes lived up to their warning labels. Ooh-lala pushed off the cab while muttering under her breath, and continued into the dank interior of the Club.

She looked around the smoke filled room, even the drunks seemed more morose than usual. Its pseudo 1930's décor seemed sad and tired, as if it really had been around for 80 years. She took off her coat revealing a slinky red dress, clinging to her sturdy figure and handed to a Ben, dressed in pathetic version of a zoot suit.

"You're late again," Ben murmured under his breath, "Pike is going to give you so much shit."

Ooh-lala shrugged her shoulders, her attitude clearly portraying that nothing Pike could do could possibly matter. She strode to the bar, sat on a stool and lit up another cigarette. She pushed her thick white hair out of her face and glared at the bartender. He glared back, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest.

"I'm not going to give you a drink," he growled, his voice even more menacing than his expression.

"If you don't give me drink Charlie, I'll snap you neck," Ooh-lala continued to glare at him, leaning forward on the bar.

Charlie tried to continue to stare, but his mouth began to twitch. Finally, he chuckled. He poured a glass of Jack Daniels and slid it across the bar.

"This isn't because I'm scared of you," he explained, "It's because you have cleavage."

"Baby, that's why you are so afraid," Ooh-lala threw back the whisky, enjoying the burn as ran down her throat. She looked around the room again, spying her pig of a boss hurrying toward her.

"Charlie, keep them coming, I feel like I'm going to need some moral support," Ooh-lala said, turning her back to her boss's approach. Pike grabbed her shoulder, but quickly let go when he met her narrowed gaze.

"You're late! You were supposed to be on half an hour ago!" he blustered, his red face quivering with rage. "You already missed one set, I should fire your ass!"

"No one cares in this shithole, Pike. I doubt any of the people here even know what day it is, never mind the time. It's the end of the world today, and these scumbags probably won't even notice." Ooh-lala took another drag on her cigarette, blowing the smoke into Pike's face. He sputtered with rage, his face turning even redder.

"But I guess the show must go on," she drawled. "Tell Ben to warm up his magic fingers, I'll be ready in a minute."

"You'll be ready now," he said, but without much conviction. He stormed off in Ben's direction, his stubby arms pumping.

"I don't know how you do that," Charlie filled another glass and pushed it towards her, "you're not even that good of a singer."

"It's my wit and charm," Ooh-lala replied, downing the second glass. She took a last puff of her cigarette and dropped the butt into the empty glass. She stood up, nodded to Charlie, and walked over to the piano where Ben was softly playing.

"Let's start out with something happy. How about 'Mac the Knife?'" Ooh-lala murmured as she leaned her back against the piano, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Everyone likes a good hit man; he brings a little sunshine into your life. You really are in a good mood, aren't you?" Ben commented as he began to play the chords of the song, he fingers tinkling across the keys. Ooh-lala began to sing, her voice reverberating off the walls of the room. Heads turned towards her, the room grew quiet. Her voice was deep and mellow, but raspy from the years of cigarettes and booze. She didn't have much of a range either, but no one could seem to look away. She was a striking picture with her white hair starkly contrasting with her smooth, dark skin, her red dress shining in the dim lights. Eyes didn't even turn towards the tall blonde who walked on black stiletto boots into the club, a woman who was more than good looking. The blonde's short hair was tipped in neon pink, matching her band sunglasses, and her button up shirt was open revealing black bra. Definitely an arresting sight, but no one even noticed her arrival. She moved over to the corner of the room, sitting at an empty table and crossing her long legs, her eyes also transfixed on the singer. She removed her sunglasses and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table.

Ooh-lala had begun singing "I've Got You Under My Skin" when she spotted the blonde. They stared at one another, both feeling an almost tangible connection. Ooh-lala felt hypnotized by those light green eyes, she felt like she could see into the other woman's soul if only she looked hard enough. The blonde felt the same, refusing to look away, to blink, in case she missed the secrets she could see those mahogany eyes. Time seemed to stand still, and Ooh-lala wasn't sure if she kept on singing or was standing silent. Then, suddenly, everything was in focus again, Ben stopped playing and Ooh-lala's final note died away. Ooh-lala walked away from the piano towards the blonde, ignoring Ben's protests and the crowd's lackluster applause. She stood in front of her, arms planted on her hips, and looked into her beautiful face. The blonde leaned back, a smile paying on her lips, and said,

"Did you know you can't sing?"

"Well, did you know you can't drive?" Ooh-lala retorted, genuinely smiling for the first time in a long time. She sat in a chair and lit a cigarette.

"What's your name?" the blonde asked, her eyes remaining fixed on Ooh-lala's face. People were starting to notice her, men looking over at their table and the noise level in the room was rising.

"Ooh-lala."

The blonde laughed, drawing even more attention to their table. "Is that really your name?"

"No."

"Mine's Lola," the blonde stated, "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets. And Lola could use a drink right about now."

"Why does Lola want to wear sunglasses when driving at night?" Ooh-lala asked as she gestured to Charlie to bring them some drinks.

"The light hurts Lola's eyes. Besides, Lola always wears her glasses 'cause the sun never sets on a badass," Lola smiled at Charlie with their drinks, and he tripped and almost dropped them. Her smile just got wider, and she sipped her drink he placed on their table.

"Does Lola always speak of herself in the third person? 'Cause that means that Lola is crazy."

"Lola is just a free thinker. How long have you worked in this hellhole?"

Ooh-lala shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of her drink, "Only about six months. I'm actually a bass player, but work is hard to find. I had…issues with my last band."

Lola grinned, "How providential, I play guitar too. But Lola is always center stage, not back up. It must be fate I nearly ran you over."

"It must be, and to think, today had such an ominous feel to it." Ooh-lala looked around the dingy room, the sad drunks huddled over their glasses. "We should get out of here, this place is soul-sucking. Maybe we could find some place to play together? I'm sure you're very good." Ooh-lala said, looking into Lola's eyes.

Lola looked right back, her mouth twisting into a smirk. "Oh, I am. Let's blow." Lola put back on her sunglasses, and pushed her chair away from the table, dropping a twenty down to pay for their drinks. As she stood up, a large, ugly thug stumbled into her.

"You looking for a good time, babe?" he leered, swaying much too close.

"Back off, buddy." Ooh-lala pushed him back with one hand, moving to stand next to Lola.

"What, are you two are fucking dykes or something? Hey Fred, we got a couple dykes here." An even bigger guy came over, slightly more sober than his friend. He looked them up a down, his eyes lingering on their breasts.

"Maybe they just need a good man to set them straight." He reached over and pulled on Lola's open shirt, revealing her bra even more. People in were beginning to play attention, Charlie frowning at them from the bar.

"Lola likes real men, not a bunch of pussies." Lola said and punched him in the stomach. As he stood there bent over and gasping, she followed it up with a left hook to his jaw, and he fell to the floor. After his friend recovered from his surprise, he moved towards her with fists clenched and a murderous expression on his face. Ooh-lala grabbed his arm, spun him towards her, and kneed him in the crotch. He tottered, and knocked into a man drinking with his girlfriend, spilling his drink onto her dress. The man, after one shocked second, retaliated by hitting him with his empty beer mug. The mayhem spread across the room, and the fight began in earnest. Lola continued to battle with enthusiasm, putting one leg in between his and twisting the big guy's prone legs over her thigh, stretching the joints painfully. Ooh-lala looked around the chaos, and decided that it was time to leave. Someone grabbed her arm, and she shoved the heel of her palm into the guy's face, hearing a satisfying crunching noise as she broke his nose. She pushed him out of the way, and tapped on Lola's shoulder, who was now choking another assailant in a headlock.

"We should go." Ooh-lala yelled over the noise, gesturing toward the door.

"Okay," Lola dropped the limp man and strode towards the exit, stepping over bodies on the way. Ooh-lala followed, stopping briefly to hit a guy with bottle who was wrestling with Charlie. He nodded at her, and she winked back as she left the club.

"Get in the cab," Lola slid across the hood and went through the open window on the driver's side. Ooh-lala got in the other side and braced herself as Lola rapidly accelerated the car into the night.

"You fight like a girl," Lola said, relaxing in the driver's seat as took a corner sharply, barely touching the breaks.

"And you drive like a manic. How long have you been driving this cab?"

"About three hours."

"Three hours? I need another drink." Ooh-lala looked over at the tall blonde and asked, "Did you steal it?"

"No, Lola is just a believer in practical socialism. Occasionally property needs to be… redistributed."

Ooh-lala laughed. "Well, whatever Lola wants, Lola gets."

"Exactly," Lola smiled at her companion. "I think we lost your job tonight. And I don't think that driving this cab is my destiny, so where should we go?"

"'Second star to the right, and straight on till morning'. I always wanted to go to Never land," Ooh-lala lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "We might as well head south, I'd like to go to a warmer place."

"I'll take you all the way to the fiery gates." Lola turned the car around sharply, making the tires squeal as she sped forward. They blasted past a police car, and the sirens wailed as they started to pursue.

"Oooh, looks like someone wants to race," Lola accelerated even more, making the falling snowflakes look like white streaks whizzing by through the windshield.

"I hope you were speaking metaphorically," Ooh-lala drawled, looking back over her shoulder at the flashing lights. "I think you should try and lose them, I've never been good at running away, and I'd hate to hold you back."

"Yeah, I like to be the one chasing too. Hold on." Lola took a series of sharp turns through some narrow side streets, and emerged at the city limits. The police car was still behind them, but their options were limited as the road went straight into the surrounding country side.

"You ever been off-roading?" Lola asked, as she looked in the rearview mirror.

"Not in the winter, but I'm open to new experiences." Ooh-lala looked out into the night, and saw a badly plowed dirt road off to the left. "You can turn there if you are feeling adventurous."

"Lola is always up to a challenge," she turned the car sharply onto the slick road, the car fishtailing as it barely made the turn. The road was weaving back and forth through a forest, and visibility was extremely bad. The police car was falling farther and farther behind them, the driver obviously much more sane than either of the women.

"I think we are losing them," Ooh-lala said, and than closed her eyes as she saw the turn in front of them. There was no way they could make it. Time slowed, and Lola's desperate attempt to break did nothing. Metal screeched as the hood of the car plowed full speed into a massive tree, and Lola and Ooh-lala knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Labyrinth

Ooh-lala awoke slowly, her eyes squinting against a bright light. She sat up gingerly, brushing her white hair out of her eyes and using her hand to shield her eyes. As they gradually adjusted to the light, Ooh-lala was able to see the green hedges that surrounded her in a perfect square. There was no sky, only a glowing dome with no discernable changes anywhere across its length. Lola lay next to her, still unconscious with her clothes in tatters. Not that there was much of them to start with. But most bizarre of all, Lola's clothes had turned a bright white and sparkled a little in the bright, all-encompassing light. Ooh-lala looked down her clothes, they too had been transformed.

Ooh-lala shook Lola's shoulder violently.

"Wake up, I think we might be dead."

Lola opened her eyes, "There is something wrong with that statement."

Lola looked around her, taking in the glowing dome, the hedges, and Ooh-lala's bright white rags in one casual glance.

"Lola cannot be dead. This isn't heaven, and there are no hot, naked angel-men."

"I would love to read your bible sometime, babe, but I agree. Where the hell are we? The last thing I remember was driving into that tree…"

"Maybe we are in the tree?" Lola looked around again, taking in an entrance in the hedges to their right. "And that looks like a way out." She pointed.

"We are not 'in the tree.' But we are probably not dead. Unless death is much more confusing than some peaceful, endless oblivion. And has a dress code." She shrugged, "We might as well enter the maze; it is not like we can do anything here."

"Lola is ready for anything." Lola stood up in one fluid motion and reached her arm down to help up Ooh-lala. They both walked through the entrance of what was obviously a hedge maze. 

"Should we leave ourselves a trail?" Lola gestured to the scant rags covering her body, "I say we have 20 minutes of clothes left until we are naked."

"As much fun as that would be, leaving a trail implies you want to get back. We started, as with everything in my life, with a dead end. Lets keep our clothes on for now."

Lola and Ooh-lala continued to walk in the maze, vague sounds of laughter and music were heard in the distance. And something seemed to be guiding them, as they turned left and right, winding through the maze, they never reached a dead end. Both of them felt the same tugging, and without speaking they were able to navigate the twisting path with ease. They were headed to towards the center, and after ten minutes the music and the laughter could be clearly heard.

"Where ever we are going doesn't sound too bad. Lola is in the mood for a party."

Ooh-lala smiled wryly but said nothing. She was also curious about what lay ahead, but was not nearly as optimistic.

They turned the last corner, and entered a scene of revelry. Strange, misshapen creatures were dancing with one another around a bonfire. Small birdlike creatures with human faces fluttered in the air, and a jaguar slowly prowled through the crowd. There were humans too, or at least almost humans, their white clothes glistening as they twisted and gyrated in a frantic dance. The music was everywhere but there were no musicians to be seen. It seemed to be welling up from the ground, which vibrated under their feet. At the center of the celebration was a throne, which a man had casually draped himself over. He seemed larger than life; Ooh-lala and Lola felt their eyes drawn to him despite the fantastic sights before their eyes.

The man saw their entrance and stood, clapping his hands together. The sound rebated across the space, abruptly ending the music and stopping the dancers in their tracks. All eyes turned towards the two women.

Lola and Ooh-lala remained oblivious to the attention that they were receiving; the man took as of their interest. The man's face was beautiful with sharply defined cheekbones, full lips, and eyebrows that rose sharply upwards. His blonde hair rose from his head like a crown of thorns, his black eyes were dramatically lined with black and purple. He wore a loose, flowing shirt open in the front and a pair of skintight leggings. The leggings bugled in a most fascinating way, and Ooh-lala found herself compelled to stare at it.

The man spoke, his voice deep and smooth, "We must make our visitors welcome. They have come a long way. Do you know where we are, my pretties?"

"No, but Lola would love to find out." Lola looked downwards significantly and licked her lips.

The man smiled, "You are between the beginning and the end. The drink and the hangover. The last note and the applause. You are not dead, but you are not alive. You are between time and space where the laughter never dies."

Ooh-lala raised one eyebrow, "I am not laughing yet. Why don't you let us in on the joke? Why are we here? What happened to us?"

"You died. Or should I say, you are dying. We are in that moment right before your spirit leaves your body forever. And I am here to offer you a deal. You can die, or I can let you live in this moment for a while longer." The man walked closer, his eyes mesmerizing as the looked into hers.

Ooh-lala couldn't look away, "And do what? Dance here with your freaks? No offense, but I have been better at dying than dancing."

Lola took a step forward, "Speak for yourself. And we could do things other than dance." Lola smiled, her eyes devouring the man's muscular frame.

"Allow me to explain. I am a god. But not any god: the god of wine, of women, of ecstasy."

"My favorite type," Lola purred.

The god grinned but continued, "The Greeks knew me as Dionysus, the Romans as Bacchus, but in the world you know I have grown weak. I have a few followers, but most celebrate in excess without me. I yearn to return to power; I need to find those who will embrace the madness, if only for a short time."

"And we can help you with this?" Ooh-lala had relaxed, the god's charm overcoming her defenses. As the god stood closer, his scent of spiced wine and honey teased her senses, calming and exciting at the same time.

His voice became softer, more intimate, "You can do what you do best. Play, perform, and drive the crowd insane. Bring them joy, rage, lust. The power is in you, I can increase it. Play the right songs at the right time and you can convert the world. The more that love you, the more that love me. But I need both of you," his eyes moved to from one woman to the other, "your power together is twice as strong."

"What would we get out of it? Any fringe benefits?" Lola was less effected by the god's hypnotic presence, but she too found it difficult to look away from him.

"You would get to live, or at least, not die a while longer. And if you are successful millions will hear your songs and know your face. You will become a legend."

"If we succeed? I thought you were going to make us irresistible?" Ooh-lala interjected.

"I can give you the power, but you have to use it. It will take all of your skill and determination to create the frenzy needed to create my worshipers. I can only give you the tools. But you do not need to decide now. Come and join in the celebration." He clapped his hands together and his court began to dance and cavort again. The music began to pulse from the ground, and Dionysus took each woman by the hand and led them to his throne. A chair had appeared on either side of it, and the women sat. He gestured carelessly with his hand, and one of the small, twisted creatures scurried up with three glasses of wine. He handed Ooh-lala one, his hand deliberately resting over hers for a second too long. He gave the other glass to Lola, and gently stroked her cheek. She shivered, her breath coming a bit faster. Dionysus sat between them and they drank as they watched the dancers lose themselves in the music.

One glass of wine became many, and Ooh-lala and Lola felt themselves slowly lose any worries and concerns about their near death state. Lola, her eyes dreamy, moved to sit on the god's lap. He smiled, his arm around her waist as he fed her grapes. Ooh-lala came to sit on the arm of the throne, running her fingers through Dionysus's silky hair. His hand moved to her thigh and he rubbed it gently.

Dionysus knew the ritual would work, the women had become relaxed and pliant after drinking the sacred wine. The dance in front of them changed, growing more slow and sensuous, most of the creatures picking partners instead of dancing alone. The rite was nearly complete.

The god's voice flowed over them like honey as he whispered, "Join me and live. Help me and be my maenads, my chosen ones. There is no pleasure in death."

Ooh-lala's eyes met Lola's, and they nodded in unison.

"We accept," they chanted, their voices perfectly in sync. Ooh-lala and Lola felt some energy bind them to the god between them. Their fates were now linked to Dionysus and his divine mission. Lola's head grew heavy, and she leaned it into his neck, his scent surrounding her. Ooh-lala's head rested on his other shoulder, and her eyes began to close.

"Sleep peacefully, my pretties, you will need all of your energy for the future." The god's smile grew tender as he gazed on his sleeping prophets, "You are my only hope."


End file.
